Mechanical toy



April 21, 1925 1,534,097

J. WILHELM ET AL MECHANICAL TOY 7 Filed Aug 25, 1920 rrrn stars arerenew JOSEPH VVILHELM AND CI-IiE-BJLJ EZS A. KAYS, F I'IICKEES ROCKS,PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Application filed August 25, 1920. Serial 110. 406,020.

To all whom it may GOHOMEL' Be it known that JosnririlVlLHiiLBi andCniinnus A. Kai's, citizens of the United States,residing at lvlclieesRocks, in the county of Allegheny and State of Penn sylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Mechanical Toys, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This, invention relates to mechanical toys and more articularly toautomatic toys operated by the force of gravity.

One of the. main objects of this invention is to provide a toy of simpleconstruction cheap manufacture, devoid of ropes, pulleys or othermechanical elements which are easily put out of working order. Anotherobject is to produce a toy in which the weight ofn arbles is used toproduce the necessary operating power. A further object is to provide atoy having simultaneously a horizontal rotary motion and a verticalswinging motion. Still further object is to provide a toy that can beeasily taken apart for shipment and storage in reduced size containers.

. In the drawings which represent the preferred construction of theinvention, and

V which form part of this specification Fig. l is a perspective viewshowing the complete toy assembled and ready for operation. I

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the side elevation of the marble bucket,positioned at the forward end of the rocker-beam.

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. t is a cross sectional view showing the lnarble grate in positionfor arresting the downward rolling motion of themarbles.

Fig. is also a cross sectional view showthe marble 'ate in position lorreleasing the first ni-arole and stopping the other niarbles in therear. v

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the preferred construction ofthis toy consists of an open marble trough l supported by the four legs2. The trough. is suitably inclined to enable the marbles to rollby-their own force of gravity into the narrowed forward or lower part 8,here'- aiterto be called the runway of the trough. Adjacent to the endof the runway a hole 4 is cut in the bottom 5 of the trough,sailiciently large to allow a marble to I tall through. The marbles 6are prevented ironi running out through hole t by a special triggeroperated gate 7 which consists of a marble-gate 8 made of a suitablybent strip of sheet metal cut to operate within the runway and securedto a shaft 9 rochablv mounted in two bearings 10 and 10, provided insupports 11 and 12 outwardly secured on each side of the runway. T heinner end of the shaft 9 is extended a suitable amount beyond thesupport 11 and is provided with a finger l3 bent downwardly and at rightangle to the shaft. This finger engages into an oblong hole 1 L providedin the horizontal arm 15 of the trigger lever 16, roclrable at 17 on arivet l7 supporter. by the inner wall of the runway. The lower end 16 ismade of sufiicient length and weight to keep the trigger lever nor mallyin a vertical position by the force of gravity.

The moving part proper ot the toy consists oi a vertical post 0 channelshaped cross section owing to the rigidity ait'orded thereby, pivotallymounted at its lower and upper end by the pins 1.9 and 20 secured to thepost and working in the lower bearing 21 and in the upper bearing 22provided in the bracket 23 the legs 2% and 25 01"- which are suitablysecured to the trough to insureproper alignment of the post. A rockerbeam 26 is rockably mounted on pin 27 supported by the flanges of thepost intermediate its supports and is provided at its forward end withthe bucket 28, preferably made out of a sin le piece of sheet metal, forreceivinga marble as it falls through the hole Both sides 29 and 30 ofthis bucket are secured to the legs of the beam 26, the rear end beingclosed by the wall 31- to prevent the marble from rolling backward whenthe beam occupies the position shown in Fig. 1. A discharge spout 32provided at the forward end of the bucket and is suitably inclined so asto hold the marble in the bucket during its downward and rotatingmotion, while also enabling the marble to roll out of tl e bucket whenthe latter has reached its lowermost position.

The rear end of the balancing beam is provided with a counterweight 33,so proportioned that the rear end will outweigh the forward end of thebeam when the bucket is empty, and that this condition will be reversedas soon as the bucket has received a marble. Both sides of the rockerbeain are stiffened by the flanges 34 prol8, pr ferably or fit) videdonthe outside of the beam and also by the tie plate placed between bothlegs of the beam and secured thereto.

Adjacent to the lower end or the post a horizontal shaft- 36 isrotatively mounted in both flanges of the postandis provided at;

the forward end with a small rack gear 37 secured thereto and which isacted upon by i crown-gear d8, preferably made. of stamped metal andmeshing with a stationary crown gear 44, ofsuiiicient depth to clear therack when at its lowest position, provided-with a bottom inthe center ofwhich is former an inwardly projecting depression as pro vided with thehole 21, forming the lower bearing and uide for tlie pin 19 of thepost.

The shaft is shown in Fig. 1 as being provided with a crank 50, it beingour intention toprovide the toy with an articulated figure of a man notshown standing upon a platform not shown and holding the crank in hishands, thus conveying the'idea as though he were operating the toyinstead or the marbles.

The stationary crown gear is securely mounted on a base lT, preferablymade of sheet metal, which forms also the base for the 'four legs 2which are held in position by inserting their bent feet 9f into thesleeves 4:8 stamped directly in the base. The legs are furthermorestiffened by the braces a9 secured and suitably positioned on the legs.

Assuming that the trough be provided with marbles and that the toy benot working, the marbles will beprevented from rolling out through thehole l, in the runway,

by the gate mechanism which will occupy the position shown inhig. a.Owing to the force of gravity due to-its weight, the trigger lever willbe vertical and thereby cause the marble gate'to take a practicallyhorizontal position, its curved forward end preventing the first marblefrom passing under it. a

When it is desired to operate thetoy, a slight push isgiven'thebucket-end otthe rocker beam against the trigger, therebyforcing the lower end of the latter backward and causing the finger 13of the gate shaft, and the gate proper, to describe a clock-wisemovement and'take the position shown in F 5. l he forward end ofthe gatewill be raised a 'suflicient amount to clear the marble and a'llow'it tofall through the hole in the, runway and into the bucket. The addedweight of the marble will cause the bucket to fallslowly and the rearend of will therefore describe a downward spiral movement until'itoccupies a sul'liciently inclined position as to allow the-marble toroll out of it. lVhen this occurs, the counter weight endrol the rockerbeam will exert a sufficient pressure on the rackbar toslowly push itdown thus creating a reverse or counter clockwise motion of the rockerbeam until theever rising bucket end strikes against the trigger leverto release a second marble This motion will be repeated as long asmarbles are fedintothe trough:

For the purpose of reducing the packing space required by the-toy, allthe principal parts of the toy are so'connected together as to be easilytaken apa-rt,-by-either removing the-fulcrum pin of the rocker beam orpressing the feet of the trough supporting legs out of engagement withtheir respective sleeves.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection withtheaccompanyingdrawings, it shouldbe apparent that we have provided atoy of simple construction and positive operation.

It-is otcourse to be understood that the parts may be constructed invarious other ways than shown, so therefore we do not wish to be limitedin any manner except as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A toy comprising a base, an elevated marble trough supported on thebase, avertical poston the base in proximity to said trough rotatableabout'its vertical; axis, a transverse beam pivotally carried on thepost having a marblereceiving bucket at one end thereof, means fornormally main taining the bucket end of the beam in elevated position,saidbeam being adapted to rock downwardly when a marble is received inthe bucket, means actuated throughthe movement of said beam for fe'edingmarbles into-thebucketfrom said trough one ata time to efiect a'rockingmovementofthe beam, cooperatinggearmg on the post and base foreliT-ectingl a rotative movement of the post, and means bperatwely:connecting the beam with saidgearing for operating the same when thebeam -is rocked. 2. A toy comprising an elevated marble receivingtrough, a vertically pivoted post in proximity to the trough, a rockerbeam carried by the post on a horizontal pivot, gearing for effectingrotation of the post, said gearing including a fixed curved rack inproximity to the post, a shaft on the post, a pinion on the shaft forengaging the rack, a driving connection between the beam and the shaftfor rotating the latter upon a rocking movementof the former said beamhaving a bucket at one end and means pro viding a counter-weight at theother end, delivery means on the trough, and means actuated through themovement of the beam for controlling said delivery means.

3. A toy comprising an elevated marble receiving trough, means fordelivering marble's therefrom, a rocker beam, a vertically pivoted postin which the rocker beam is pivotally carried, a bucket on said beamadapted to receive mar les from said delivery means, a counterweight onthe other end of'the beam, gearing for rotating the post, meansincluding a rack and pinion for operatively connecting the rocker beamY' r 1 n .1 k V with the post iotatmg gearing, whci eby the post may berotated when the beam is rocked, and means operated through the movementof the beam for controlling the delivery of marbles from the deliverymeans to the bucket. I

4-. ln a toy of the character described, a base; a. vertical postpivotally mounted at both ends; a rocker beam fulcrumed intermediate thepivots of said post for rocking movement in a vertical plane; a bucketpositioned at the forward end and a counterweight positioned at the rearend of said beam; a horizontally rotating shaft mounted upon andadjacent the lower end of said post; a gear-pinion secured on said shaftand outwardly of said'post; rack bar having its upper end rockablymounted intermediate the fulcrnm and the counterweight of saidrocker-beam; a rockably mounted plate positioned between said rack-barand post for slidably gul'dlng sa1d rack bar into permanent engagementwith said plnion; a

stationary crown-gear disposed centrally of the lower pivot of said postand secured to said base; a gear secured on the opposite end of saidshaft and engaging said stationary crown gear.

5. Ina toy of the character described, a base, a vertical post pivotallymounted at both ends; a rocker beam fulcrumed intermediate the pivots ofsaid posts for rocking movement in a vertical plane; a bucket positionedat the forward end and a counterweight positioned at the rear end ofsaid beam; a horizontally rotating shaft mounted upon and adjacent thelower end of said post; a gear-pinion secured on said shaft andoutwardly of said post; a rack-bar having its upper end rockably mountedintermediate the fulcrum and the counterweight of said rocker-beam, andslidably guided for permanent engagement with said pinion; a stationarycrown-gear disposed centrally of the lower pivot of said post andsecured to said base; a gear secured on the opposite end of said shaftand engaging said crowngear; an elevated marble holding trough suitablyinclined to cause the marbles contained therein to roll by gravity intoa runway provided at the forward end of said trough; an apertureprovided at the for ward end of said runway; a gate secured to arockably mounted shaft having a clownwardly depending finger; a triggerlever outwardly mounted of the runway, the lower arm of said leveroperating by the force of gravity to normally hold the gate in aposition to arrest the movement of the marbles; the upper arm of saidlever being bent outwardly for engagement with the finger of said gateshaft and holding the gate in open position when the lower arm of thetrigger lever is struck by the forward end of the rocker beam.

In testimony whereof they aflix their signatures.

JOSEPH wiLHnLM. CHARLES A. KAYS.

